Page 95 of Shadow Operative

That man was Cormac.

He’d gone into Rob’s apartment building on the night Rob was murdered.

It was looking more and more like he might be their guy.

chapter

forty-five

Gage’s thoughtsraced as he headed down the road.

He could hardly believe his eyes.

But that haddefinitelybeen Cormac going into Rob’s apartment building. Had he done that so he could kill Rob and frame Nia?

Maybe this guy was guilty.

Because apparently Austin hadn’t seen anyone else suspicious enter or leave the building.

He reminded himself that someone could have altered the video. After all, he’d done it. And someone had removed the footage of Nia coming into the apartment building.

But if that wasn’t the case . . . did that just leave Cormac?

Gage didn’t know, but he didn’t like this. However, he and Nia were slowly inching closer to answers.

They would need to be careful. These guys had Nia’ssister . . . a twist he’d not seen coming.

They pulled up to the fishing cabin again. This time, Gage parked farther down the road.

He wanted to keep the element of surprise.

Nia’s phone buzzed again. “It’s from the same people who sent me the photo of Sophia.”

“What does it say?”

She stared at the screen. “That I need to bring them the cyber key by eleven a.m. tomorrow or she’ll die.” Her voice cracked.

“The cyber key?” Gage asked.

Realization rolled over her features. “It’s something Rob developed. How could I have forgotten? It’s this extra layer of security for his apps. No one can access them without it.”

“You have that information?”

She shook her head. “No, only Rob had it.”

“So why would they think you had it?”

She thought about it a moment before shrugging. “I have no idea. Except that they’re desperate. Maybe they think I can find it or figure it out.”

“Can you?”

“No, not really. That’s the purpose of the key.” She sighed. “I . . . I don’t know what to do.”

“Ask where to meet.” Gage nodded toward her phone.

With trembling fingers, she typed the words.

The sender responded with, “We’ll let you know closer to the time.”

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